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If we're talking about the power inside Charizard, aside from his own strength, it's the power inherited from Ho-Oh.
To this day, the rainbow wing still resides within Charizard's body. Even though he's already mastered Sacred Fire and reached Gym Peak level, the feather's effect remains formidable.
This feather isn't something Ho-Oh casually shed; it condenses a portion of Ho-Oh's power. Ash suspects it's essentially the 'Legendary medium' the big shots in the chat group mention.
Much like the Jade Orb for Rayquaza or the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs for the Temporal and Spatial duo. Should this feather fall into evil hands, with today's technology, those villains could probably build a device to control Ho-Oh.
That's why Ash has never breathed a word about owning the rainbow wing; only his closest companions know.
Now Mewtwo claims the GS Ball in his hand holds Ho-Oh's power. Could it be a Poké Ball Ho-Oh created?
The mystery stays tangled; best take the GS Ball to Professor Ivy on Valencia Island for now.
Ash pockets the GS Ball, says goodbye to Professor Oak, and the three of them set off shoulder-to-shoulder toward Viridian City.
Pallet Town to Viridian City isn't far, but on foot they'd miss the morning airship. So, past Pallet, Ash releases Pidgeot and has it carry all three straight to Viridian.
Charizard could carry people too, but it's far less suited for the job—two riders is pretty much its limit; any more and it has to grab them by the claws.
So for aerial travel, Pidgeot is definitely the best choice.
It's worth noting that Ash is currently carrying only six Pokémon: Charizard, Pidgeot, Pikachu, Gardevoir, Mewtwo, and Lugia.
Togepi is along for the ride, but it occupies one of Misty's slots. Misty's team is even smaller—just Seadra, Dragonair, and Psyduck.
Their Orange Islands trip is mainly a vacation, plus a chance to catch a few Pokémon, so they've deliberately trimmed their active rosters.
Ash had no real choice: Charizard and Pidgeot are emergency transport, Pikachu is non-negotiable, Gardevoir refuses to leave his side, and Mewtwo and Lugia obviously can't be left at Oaks Laboratory.
Ash already foresees this won't be a laid-back holiday. He's drawn three 'carry tickets' in the group chat; the first two came in handy almost immediately after he got them.
The third will likely do the same—on this trip he may meet an enemy even he can't handle solo and will need to call in backup.
That's exactly why Ash refuses to leave Mewtwo at Oaks Laboratory.
Besides, the seventh Pokémon slot on his license was applied for specifically to accommodate Mewtwo—why stuff it back in the lab now?
So Ash ends up with those six, Misty with four. Brock only brought Onix and Golbat, leaving the rest of his team at the Gym for training.
Ever since news of the Silver Conference spread, every Gym's workload has exploded. Because badges from other regions also count toward entry, challengers across all regions have been pouring in.
Whether it's Pewter Gym or Cerulean Gym, both have been swamped. At Pewter, Brock's father, Flint, may be unreliable, but he's still a veteran Gym Trainer.
With the Pokémon Brock supplied, they can just about cope. Cerulean Gym, however, is under far more pressure—
Which is why Misty sent even her ace, Starmie, back home. If she didn't ship some Pokémon back, her three sisters would be crushed by the onslaught.
Even though she's been the stand-in Leader for ages, only Daisy really knows how to command in battle.
The other two are still hopeless; they hold their positions only because Misty's Pokémon are strong and because there's literally no one else.
Misty should have gone home by now—she hadn't even reached the Orange Islands when Daisy learned she had a boyfriend, and that boyfriend was Ash. Instantly, Daisy told her not to rush back.
For her little sister's happiness and to give the lovebirds more time, Daisy shouldered the Gym's burden alone. Who knows how long she can hold out.
Until Daisy cracks, Misty can enjoy couple time with Ash, but once challengers multiply further, Misty will race back to Cerulean Gym even if Daisy doesn't ask.
Because she is the Cerulean Gym Leader!
Ten minutes later, Pidgeot deposits the trio in Viridian City. What takes a day on foot takes ten minutes by air—another reason Ash dislikes using Pokémon for every leg of the journey.
Flying is fast, but you miss the scenery; the whole point of travel evaporates.
Back in Viridian City, nothing has changed since their last visit; this is Ash and Misty's third time here. The Viridian Gym is closed, and rumor says a new Leader will arrive soon.
The newcomer probably won't specialize in Ground-type Pokémon, but who it is or how strong they are, Ash's group hasn't heard.
Giovanni is still missing; the Team Rocket affair has quieted down. Bound by the rules, he had to dismiss half the organization, yet far more than half have since deserted.
When you start shutting bases and firing people without explanation, even executives panic. Many fled, rival villain groups meddled, and now Team Rocket exists in name only.
It's ironic: with Team Rocket gone from Kanto, villain groups from other regions are slipping in. To them, Kanto is ripe—both the region itself and the resources Team Rocket left behind.
Swallow that legacy, and any organization could balloon overnight.
Kanto remains calm only because so many villainous groups are making moves; they're all scuffling in the shadows, and the League isn't just for show—so for now the region stays peaceful.
But once the fuse is lit, the whole of Kanto could turn into a battlefield, and the likely spark is none other than the God of the Sea—Lugia.
Cynthia had headed to the Orange Islands to investigate during the Indigo Plateau Conference, but since then—nothing.
She and Ash had swapped numbers; normally she'd call if she found anything, yet she never has, and when Ash rings her it goes straight to voicemail.
That doesn't mean something's happened to her—nobody goes undercover with their phone switched on, after all.
Chances are Cynthia's reached a critical point in her infiltration and can't surface; the full story will have to wait until they reach the islands and track her down.
Soon the departure time arrives; the three friends board the airship—only to discover they're the only passengers.
"What's going on? Nobody vacations in the Orange Islands anymore? I thought it was a top resort," Ash muttered, scratching his head as he picked a seat.
The first-class cabin alone had ten plush chairs, with at least two hundred more in economy, yet no one else was in sight.
Had the whole flight really been booked by no one but them?
"Please fasten your seat belts; the airship is about to depart," a cabin attendant said, approaching to check their restraints.
Perched on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu caught an off-putting scent the moment the attendant drew near—familiar and foul.
The attendant's cap was pulled low, a mask hiding most of the face, making identification impossible.
Masks were standard uniform, yet something still felt wrong.
"Pika-pi…" Something's weird, Ash.
"You feel it too, Pikachu?" Ash replied, quietly letting Aura sweep the cabin. His eyes widened for a heartbeat, then he schooled his face and forced the shock down, forcing calm.
Keep it natural, he told himself.
What are those three doing on this airship—and in crew uniforms, no less?
Reformed? Not a chance. Even if they were, the odds of them working this exact flight were zero; they'd staked it out in advance.
How did they know he'd be here, swap out the staff, and empty the passenger list? Only one answer: the Team Rocket Trio.
With skills like that, why not seize control of Team Rockets and lead it to glory? Why waste time stalking him and Pikachu?
"Ash, you okay? You look pale," Misty said, already seated. She reached out and pressed her small hand to his forehead.
"I'm fine—just spotted a few familiar faces."
"Familiar? But there's no one else—"
"Shh—" He lifted a finger to her lips; the casual intimacy made Misty's face flame.
She snatched her hand back and busied herself gazing everywhere but at him.
Brock watched the young couple with the satisfied smile of a shipper seeing their favorite pair sail.
Still, he wondered: if Ash's "familiar faces" were who he thought, they were frighteningly resourceful.
Once everyone buckled up, the airship lifted off. From Viridian City to the Orange Islands was a thirty-minute hop; first-class offered unlimited snacks and drinks, but passengers had to summon crew to move about.
Misty ran her tongue over dry lips and raised a hand—only for steel cuffs to snap around both wrists, pinning them to the armrest.
Ash and Brock received the same treatment: hands and feet were shackled while insulated gloves yanked Pikachu from Ash's arms.
"Ha-ha-ha, brat, you finally walked into our trap!"
"Our flawless disguise beat that little sixth sense of yours!"
"Pikachu is ours now, me-owth!"
As the trio was immobilized, two attendants flashed into view, tore open their uniforms to reveal white suits emblazoned with a red R, and a talking Meowth dropped between them.
The Team Rocket Trio—missing since the opening ceremony of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Ash had assumed they'd been recalled after the last blast-off, yet here they were, lying in wait.
How they'd learned the flight details, replaced the crew, and deployed the manifest would remain a mystery—one only the Team Rocket Trio could create.
"With your talents, if you were good guys you could help countless people. What a waste," Ash sighed—then flexed; the iron cuff round his wrist snapped clean in half.
Team Rocket Trio: —
Wh-wh-what?! You're a monster! Don't break chains like they're made of paper!!!